The 25 Do's and Don'ts the Teenage Me Learned in Life (part 1)

When I was probably in middle school I was all over the place.  It's kind of typical but I always forgot who I really wanted to be and got more caught up in who everyone else wanted me to be.  I started to pray every night and after I started listing in my notes one thing that I learned or wanted to achieve. I did this for 25 days. Most of them are "generic", probably all heard before in a different version, but they all really meant something to me.  Digging this list up I not only was taken back to those times and those emotions but now I have new thoughts and emotions that go along with them.  The statements go a lot further than just one line so I want to expand on what they mean to me personally then and now. 

1. "You're meant to be something great, act like it"
      -There is way more to life than just doing the motions. Get out there and find what you're supposed to be great at.

2. "Learn how to earn respect from people because respect is key.”
     - I know some people don't respect people right off the back.  You have to want it and show them you’re worth it because respect goes a long way.

3."You never know who you are going to meet so stop acting like a hermit and get out."
     - Staying inside is so easy.  It's hard to deal with people but at the same time there are such great human beings out there and it would be a shame to miss your chance to meet them.  I always want to go out because I never want to miss the chance of meeting my future husband or my maid of honor.  Life is so crazy; if you don't go to Crazy Weston's bonfire... man, you just missed out on an altered future (hopefully not one of going to jail for underage drinking or for putting a goat on top of the barn).

but...

4. "Know it is healthy to have lazy days but try to be somewhat productive with them and use them correctly"
    -Hell yeah I like Netflix and hell yeah I want to watch a whole season of Dexter in one night.  It's nice to let your mind recover from stress and work. But maybe in the mist of my three naps that day I should pick up my room a little bit and delete some of my 2,000 pictures on my phone. Baby things that don't take that much effort but need to be done. I hate to admit it but I don't need a 1,000 selfies of my dog on my phone.

5."Know the difference between long and short relationships."
   -Not everything is meant to last forever. This is a hard one.  I wanted to think that my best friend of 6yrs was always going to be there. But towards the end it was pointless. We started not having that much of fun and stop bettering each other. We needed to stop beating a dead horse and move on so we could find other people that made us happier. It's hard because he was so much a part of my daily routine and so much a part of my heart.  Sometimes God puts people in your life just for a short moment, to get what you need to get achieved and then move on.

6."Surround yourself with people who love you and don't let them belittle what you can be."
    -This kind of goes with 5 in a sense.  There are times we deal with people just because they've been there. Yeah they care about us but they are not always out for our best interest.  Genuine love is hard to come by.  What's a friend, husband, or person that doesn't push or inspire you to be a better person?  People need to not be afraid to cut people out of their lives if they are always putting them down.  If you fill your life with a few people that make you happy and then the rest negative you are wasting your time with them rather than finding people who will fully care and love you.  Most people are scared they wont find anyone that loves them better but if you try hard enough you can find the people that want to see you succeed and let them be the ones that surround you because you deserve it and you will grow.


To be continued...